India Monsoon – 200 Villages Under Water, More Than 180 Dead

Posted on August 18, 2014

Three days of torrential rain and flooding in Nepal and India have killed more than 180 people, submerged nearly 200 villages under swirling floodwaters, and left thousands homeless. The worst-hit areas were in western Nepal and northern India. Relief teams have sent food, tents and medicine to prevent outbreaks of disease, but more help is needed.

Thousands of people are without shelter across 10 flooded districts, with at least 100 people having died in Nepal and 84 in India since Thursday. The situation worsened in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh after dams were opened in Nepal.

Oxfam International (Flickr)

People in the worst-affected villages are being evacuated to relief camps set up in government and school buildings, and paramilitary soldiers in about 400 boats were helping to evacuate people from their homes after entire villages were destroyed in northern Uttar Pradesh. Vinod Kumar, a resident of Karonda, a village in Uttar Pradesh, said flood waters moved in so swiftly that they barely had time to escape.

Ian T Edwards (Flickr)

The June-September monsoon season often brings heavy flooding to Nepal and India. The rains caused a landslide earlier this month that covered an entire village near Katmandu, killing 156 people. More than 6,000 people were killed last year in Uttarakhand state during the monsoon season. Major deforestation over the last few decades has made the area more vulnerable to landslides, increasing threats to life and property. Read more

Our hearts and prayers are with those affected, and we hope for a speedy recovery.